Below is a status report from
the emergency operations center.Public
health and safety are our priorities.

“Our first priority is to
clear major roads so that FEMA and other agencies can reach us with water, food
& shelter.A 24/7 curfew is in
place.Stay in your homes.It is not safe to be on the streets.Violators are subject to arrest.If you evacuated, DO NOT RETURN.St. Tammany Parish is closed.Do not attempt to cross St. Tammany Parish
to reach other areas.Make safety your
first priority.Please obey the
instructions below regarding water and other public health and safety issues.
Please be patient.We are in recovery
operations.”

Sheriff Jack Strain continues
to oversee the recovery effort and has urged citizens in the area to stay where
they are unless travel is absolutely necessary.

“Our deputies are fully
mobilized and working around the clock to restore a safe environment,” the
sheriff said. “We need the full cooperation of every citizen in respecting the
curfew, cooperating with emergency responders, and putting safety first. Residents
who remain in St. Tammany Parish should stay where they are until instructed
that the parish is safe for movement. Those who evacuated should stay out of
the parish while we continue the early phases of this recovery effort.”

Citizen actions needed:

1-Stay at home. Do not enter the streets. A 24-hour curfew is in effect.Violators are subject to arrest.

2-Drink only bottled water OR water that has been at a
full boil for at least ten minutes.Do
not drink or cook with any water that has not been disinfected.

3-Stay out of flood waters.If you live in a high water area with central sewerage, sewage
will be in the water. Stay out of ALL flood waters.

Reports:

Emergency Operations:

We are working with the State
Office of Emergency Preparedness and FEMA to bring water, food and fuel for
emergency responders into the parish.We are working with the Red Cross to establish temporary shelters.

Power:

CLECO & WST crews and the
St. Tammany Parish Department of Public Works are working to clear major roads
to allow FEMA to enter parish. 750 line
and trimming crews are in-route.All
parts & equipment for repair are in-route.Thousands of poles are down.Major damage parish-wide.Emphasis will be to restore emergency & medical sites first.Gas line breaks were wide-spread.Gas companies are working.

9-1-1 & Telephone:

The 9-1-1 grid is not
operational as of this morning.Work is
underway to restore the grid and all land-line communications.No report on cell towers at this time.

City of Slidell:

Lake waters are beginning to
recede. The City has experienced major flooding from Gause Boulevard
south.There is major tree and power-line
damage city-wide.All major arterial
roads are impassable.

City of Mandeville:

Flood waters reached to
Monroe Street.There is NO ACCESS to
Lakefront.The City is beginning the
clearing process.

Town of Folsom:

Trees down, all utilities
out.No flooding reported at this time.

Town of Abita Springs:

Trees down, all utilities
out.No flooding reported at this time.

Town of Madisonville:

Trees down, all utilities
out.Majority of building had some
flooding.

The Parish is sending
emergency crews to contact areas that have not sent reports to the EOC.

St. Tammany Parish School
Board:All schools are closed until
further notice.